Super typhoon to steer clear of Korean Peninsula: KMA
The Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that Hagibis, the season's 19th typhoon currently heading north from Guam in the western Pacific, is expected to directly hit Tokyo on Sunday, Yonhap reports.
Hagibis, which is expected to be the strongest and largest typhoon to hit the region, was traveling northwest about 390 kilometers north-northwest of Guam at a speed of 18 kph, with an atmospheric pressure of 915 hectopascals at its center, as of 9 a.m., according to the KMA. The maximum wind speed at its center was 55 meters per second, or 198 kph.
The typhoon is forecast to reach waters near Okinawa on Friday before heading northeast and making landfall in Tokyo early Sunday morning, the agency said.
«The possibility of South Korea coming under direct impact of Typhoon Hagibis has now become slim. Under its indirect influence, however, strong winds are expected across our nation this weekend, particularly the eastern and southern coastal areas. High waves are also expected in the seas,» a KMA official said.
Last week, South Korea's eastern and southern regions were hit hard by Typhoon Mitag, the season's 18th typhoon, as 10 people were killed and four others went missing amid heavy rain and strong winds.